Benjamin Ferencz was an American lawyer and a prominent figure in the field of international law.
Born in 1920 in Romania, he emigrated to the United States with his family when he was ten years old. After completing his education, Ferencz worked as a lawyer and prosecutor, focusing on international criminal law and human rights. He is perhaps best known for his work as the chief prosecutor in the Einsatzgruppen Trial at Nuremberg, where he helped to convict 22 high-ranking Nazi officials for their role in the murder of more than one million people during World War II.
The Nuremberg Trials were a series of military tribunals held by the Allied forces after World War II to prosecute prominent leaders of Nazi Germany for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and crimes against peace. The trials took place in the city of Nuremberg, Germany, from November 1945 to October 1946, and involved 22 defendants, including top military officials, government ministers, and Nazi Party leaders, under Ferencz’s time as chief. The trials were significant in that they established the principle of individual criminal responsibility for war crimes, a concept that had not previously been recognized in international law.
The Nuremberg Trials were groundbreaking in several ways. First, they marked the first time in history that an international tribunal was convened to prosecute individuals for crimes against peace, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. Second, the trials set important precedents in international law, including the recognition of the principle of individual criminal responsibility, the prohibition of aggressive war, and the recognition of crimes against humanity as a distinct category of offenses. Finally, the trials had a significant impact on the development of international criminal law, paving the way for the establishment of the International Criminal Court in 2002.
Ferencz was credited for his work at Nuremberg, but he also had a long and distinguished career in international law. He served as a legal advisor to the United States Army in postwar Germany and Japan, where he helped to establish the War Crimes Tribunals. He has also been an advocate for the establishment of an international criminal court and has worked to promote the rule of law and human rights around the world. In recognition of his lifelong dedication to justice and human rights, Ferencz has received numerous awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States.
Ben Ferencz died of natural causes while staying in assisted living in Florida. He was 103 years old. The report of his passing was deeply felt by the millions of people whom he helped by holding the Nazis accountable for their war crimes. The Nuremberg trials he headed served as the cornerstone in creating laws against war crimes as we know them today.